THE Armidale Outlaws have booked their place in the A-grade grand final thanks to a walk-off win over Warriors in the preliminary.
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The Armidale side plated three runs in the final inning to claim a spot in the grand final with a 11-10 win, staving off a major upset.
A sterling effort on the mound from Tamworth starter Val Orcher put the Warriors well and truly in the hunt.
He was backed up in the batter's box with multiple hits to James Ardill, Brent King and Nathan Handsaker.
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The Warriors took a liking to Outlaws starter Jeremy Bird and claimed an early lead.
However, the Warriors' injury count took a toll towards the end of the season and a number of B-graders had been called up for the sudden-death clash.
The Outlaws were scoreless for the first two innings, and it took a five-run effort in the fifth for the Outlaws to gain an 8-7 lead.
Runs to Handsaker, brother Ryan and Bradley Redshaw off Brad Smith's relief pitching saw the Warriors reclaim the lead.
The blue crew went into the final frame with a two-run lead and the knowledge a draw would result in elimination.
The Outlaws' bottom order came up clutch and saw them into the grand final.
Smith said the result could have been much different.
"We were missing Josh Shaw and they were missing their pitcher Johnny Warren," Smith said.
"If they had Johnny, I have no doubt we wouldn't have come back from 5-0 down.
"It was a really tight tussle."
The A-grade loss capped off a disappointing day for the Warriors, who were crushed in the B-grade preliminary final, going down 15-1 to the Outlaws.
Brendan Gosling bagged the Tamworth side's only hit and run for the game.
The Outlaws scored at will with multiple hits to Ollie Grimble, Pat O'Connor and Ryan Semple.
The wins mean the Outlaws will face the Cougars in the grand final in both grades at Tamworth's field of dreams on Saturday.